I know many of us hide the fact we read or write fanfiction.  Believe me, I've seen the sneers of others  myself but really the fandom has a lot to be proud about.

Besides the fact there are some wonderful writers out there that we'd never had enjoyed if it weren't for Fanfiction, the fandom has done great things for the various charities out there.  (I wonder if the amount we've raised has ever been tallied.  That would be an interesting total, wouldn't it?)

But the fandom has helped in other ways.  Today I just got a review on a story I wrote a few years back called Parma High.  It was set in south Florida during a hurricane.  Here's what she told me:

I want to thank you for this chapter. I live in Connecticut and had to go
through Hurricane Sandy. I went back to this chapter and did everything in
Cope's storm box letter except the air conditioning! The list was really
helpful. After being teased about reading fanfiction, it was fun to see the
expressions of my family when I told them where I got my info! Thanks again.

This makes me more proud than just about anything and I have no one to share it with but you guys.

Do you have an example of when fanfiction has been a benefit?  Share it with us here.

i remember reading a story about 2 years ago that i enjoyed. bella and edward are both at the same community college, they went to the same high school, edward always had a crush on bella (they went prom but he ended up ruining it by getting drunk). bella is a writer and need to write a sex scene but cant do it, edward says he will help. also it is found out that edward had a affair with his mum's friend (a professor i think and she has wrote a book about it, bella decide to write a book from edward's view point). bella is a carer i think and she calls edward bunny or something. that is all i remember, does anyone has a copy or the link to the story??? thanks

 http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4947103/61/Femme_Docs_and_Kevlar_Knights

"You know, the polite way of saying F*** in public? Starts with F and ends with uck. Firetruck." *

Something is wrong with me. I'm quoting Smosh. :O

HAI!

So, my bestie (who refuses to come out of Lurkerdom) known as prttybellaprincess and I have a plan.

If our parents allow it, Summer of 2013 we are going here

To meet these beautiful guys

and to get there from North Idaho to good old Anaheim, CA we want to know.....

HAS ANYBODY HERE BEEN TO VIDCON? It is on our bucketlist, and seeing that Smosh was going to be there as well as this guy

And these guys too

We're hella excited!!!!! So, any tips or tricks for conventions like this???? Travel tips? If we have our way, we'll be traveling alone. I mean come on, we'll be 21 and 20, respectively.

HELP US OUT!!!!!!

Title of the campfire brought to you by this wonderful thing. You're welcome.

Just needed an excuse to post these pics. More in the comments. Taken from here

To make this interactive (other than "Post YOUR favorite pics" of course): Kristen says Snowwhite II will be filmed. Specifically, she says it will be " *word that is inappropriate to use not only on the adf front page but also in regards to anything SWATH considering the scandal* amazing". Here

Would you go see it? Any predictions on whether it'll do as well as the first movie at the BO,yk, post-scandal and without the goddess Charlize?

I won't go stalking you later (unless you want me to!)

This is my house. It looks bigger than it is. Only 1500 square feet. It had it's 100th birthday this April but it's fully remodelled inside.

 

This is my kitchen that I love (still needs an island...one day)

And this is the view on a summer's night when the sun sets over Stanley Park



Show me yours!

Capricorn75 and VampiresHaveLaws are excited to announce their brand-spankin' new collaboration:

The HO HEY Contest, inspired by the song "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers.

You know, that achingly beautiful song that's pretty much perfect in every way.

Have a listen, or two (or if you're like us, 20):

I'm asking for recs...

When someone asks me to recommend something to read, I usually ask to tell me what (s)he's already read and liked, just to understand what (s)he might enjoy.

May I do the same with you?

I've done this list, with the AH fics I've enjoyed.

Always Edward/Bella, no slash, no BDMS.

What would you recommend?

If you like this experiment, I have a (much longer) list of vamp fics -- I usually read much more vampfics than AH.

Thank you!

- Raum

(the ones in bold are the ones I've absolutely loved).

A Compendium of Thoughts
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6878388/5/A_Compendium_of_Thoughts

A Form of Escapism
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5924184/1

A Quiet Fire
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6431421/1/A_Quiet_Fire

A Thousand Leaves
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6276284/1/A_Thousand_Leaves

A Voice in the Darkness
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6856375/1/A_Voice_in_the_Darkness

As She Desires
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7818405/1/As_She_Desires

Conversations over Coffee
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6743346/1/Conversations_Over_Coffee

Cracks in the Pavement
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6765479/1/Cracks_in_the_Pavement

Dear Maggie
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7179931/1/Dear_Maggie

Firefly in Summer
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6672297/1/Firefly_in_Summer

Fridays at Noon
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6453369/1/Fridays_at_Noon

Girl with a Red Umbrella
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5421617/1/Girl_with_a_Red_Umbrella

Intersection
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5044189/1/Intersection

Judging Books
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6324659/5/Judging_Books

Ladder to the Sun
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5479529/1/Ladder_to_the_Sun

Legendary
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5514543/1/Legendary

Letters to Corporal Masen
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8467119/1

Moments
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8132007/1/Moments

Savage, Offside

Rhapsody in B
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5427856/12/Rhapsody_in_B

Same Time Tomorrow, Miss Swan
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6633014/1/Same_Time_Tomorrow_Ms_Swan

She's Royal
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4310111/1/Shes_Royal

Silver Strand Nights
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5716145/1/Silver_Strand_Nights

Savage, Surviving Bella

The Art Teacher
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6460434/1/The_Art_Teacher

The Plan
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6550419/1/The_bPlan_b

The Red Line
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4819806/1/The_Red_Line

The Wedding Party
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5861484/1/The_Wedding_Party

The Weight of Words
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5463683/1/The_Weight_of_Words

Transcendence
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7570951/1/

Savage, Unexpected Circumstances

Volition
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5115662/1/Volition

We Come to Life Beneath the Stars
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6058476/1/We_Come_to_Life_Beneath_the_Stars

What I Want
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7042713/1/What_I_Want / http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5933687/1/Want_No_More

Win Some, Lose Some
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7922076/1/
 

Let’s talk about Christmas traditions.

What do you do? Is there something you do every year? How do you celebrate? Anything that’s typical for your country?

Let’s learn something from each other :)

Hey everyone! I am friends with some people that are writing a new Musical and they are trying to cast it (with the hopes of it eventually being on Broadway). If you are interested (and can sing) and are in the Florida area, check out this site http://www.musicfromtheheartstudio.com/contact.html. Auditions are by appointment only. If you do try out, tell Bryan or Kyle "Birdie Num Nums" and they will know that Nichole sent you! 

I am looking tot fic recs where e/b knew each other when they were younger and later one of them becomes famous and they reconnect. Somehimg similar to Hydraulic Level5. I like five where it is more realistic/angsty vs fluffy. Thanks!

I just got around to watching Pitch Perfect this week, and man! I can't stop watching it! Am I the only one? I'm especially captivated by this man:

Seriously, I could watch this one scene over and over again, and I don't know what it is about this man, but he rubs me the right way. In all the right ways.

But then there's the music!

for some reason I can't stop purchasing blu-ray's  ... I finally got an HDTV and blu-ray player about 5 months ago and I seriously can't stop buying them.....  I think I've bought a little over 200 some in 5 months and a lot of those are movie collections/ tv series.....just got one of my orders from amazon today (all the Mission Impossible movies, The lord of the rings triolgy extended editions)   My question is this - What's the best looking blu-ray's out there or what upcoming blu-ray's are you looking forward to..

also is there anyone here who watches anime? I've never really watched any before and would love some recs just so I could check some out....  I just put in order in over at amazon for ( Hellsing Ultimate: Volumes 1-4 Collection [Blu-ray/DVD Combo], Hellsing Ultimate: Volumes 5-8 Collection (Blu-ray/DVD Combo), Claymore: The Complete Series [Blu-ray], Black Blood Brothers: The Complete Series S.A.V.E. [Blu-ray], Trinity Blood: Complete Series Box Set [Blu-ray] )  they looked like my type of show "violent, gory, and action filled"...... as I said i've never really watched anime before I'm just kind of looking for rec's so I can see what anime has to offer...

O and in case you don't hear from me for awhile.....  Merry Christmas.. :)

Happy holidays, campers ;)

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about my favorite fanfics (and my own) and it's made me wonder...what separates the awesome angsty fanfics from the ones that have too much going on and are playing up like the soap operas on t.v (or anything written by Ryan Murphy. No offense to anyone who enjoys his work. I just...dont. Sorry :/) Is there such thing as "acceptable angst" and "just going overboard"?

Do you think there has to be a line drawn somewhere? And if so, how do you know where? I know, I know, if it's your story, who cares about how someone else pictures things happening, but I'm just a bit stumped right now. I mean, I remember reading stories early in my venture into fanfic tht I just couldn't get enough of, and yet now,  when I look back at them, I think, "Damn. That story seriously had too much going on , with the plot twists and the drama, etc."

Tell me what you think.

p.s to all my Resent readers: in regards to the re-writes, I'm on ch. 11 now. :D Please excuse this thinly disguised attempt at asking for advice...and reaching out. I just wanna talk. :p

Since it's FFA I'll go ahead and shamelessly self-promote (as others have done).

As some of you may recall GalleyCat recently ran a contest asking people to rewrite passages of the vampire classic Varney the Vampire. I participated and the book finally came out. It's free so check it out. There's a lot of funny and creative entries in the bunch. 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/266802

To make this interactive have you ever participated in a project like this? This is my second actually. I wrote a passage for Potato Moon a few years back.

What are your favorite Twilight parodies in book form? What vampire book or movie would you like to see parodied or rewritten that hasn't been yet?

Sometimes a fun way to cheer your self up is to fill others with misery. Also making others jealous is a great way to remind yourself that life isn't so bad, if you've done awesome things other's would be envious of then at least some parts of life have to be great. 

So I want you to post pictures of the amazing things you've done, places you've seen or people you've met or even just really cool stuff that you own or maybe even won! 

I have totally been planning this campfire for months btw, I was simply waiting for one more moment to add to my list. Also yes, I'm going to be going on about the famous people I've met again because I don't have much else awesome to talk about, so if you're fed up of me sorry! Lol, I also just want to see your adventures and awesome stuff....

How many times can I get away with saying awesome? 

I will start the ball rolling with one simple picture.... I will post more in the comments though

That is me with David Tennant (the 10th doctor) 

Now come onnnnn, show me what you've got!!

The world didn't end, and my first novel, Ghostwriter, is only $4.99 today and tomorrow. Two reasons to celebrate!

My second novel The End of All Things is available for pre-order now.

After a terrible virus ravages the planet, Carly, one of the few survivors, hides in her apartment in Juneau trying to survive the best she can with only occasional forays to gather food. She is discovered by Justin, an ex-soldier intent on making his way to Florida before winter sets in. This is the story of their journey to find a place to begin a new life, and a home in each other.

If you order now, I'll send you a signed book plate to put in it. You can read the first chapter here.

Christmas Challenge!

This week's challenge - give a healthy holiday alternative (thanks for the idea, Hummingbird!)

What are you having for Christmas dinner? Have you planned healthy alternatives or have you, like me, become a slave to tradition and just ordered an online shop full of yummy but fattening things?

Were the Mayans wrong?

If this WAS the Apocalypse, would you want to be a Zombie?

Add your funny thing here- doesn't have to be related to the END of the WORLD

J